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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

ANOTHER city gets BRUTAL lesson on what happens when liberals rule

Name a place in America run by conservatives for decades, and is insolvent, has declared bankruptcy, or is teetering on the edge of declaring. Tough to do. Now, same question only remove the word “conservatives” and insert “liberals.” Where liberals have ruled, almost the opposite can be asked — name a place that isn’t in dire or near dire financial straights.

This list is getting very long. On the international stage, Italy, whose banks are about to go bust; Greece, already have, Venezuela, where citizens are rioting in the streets just to get a loaf of bread, are global crises well-known.

Here at home, the fruits of liberalism are all around us, too.

At the state level, many under liberal control are in trouble: California, New York, Illinois, all face mounting debt crisis’.

In 2011, the Illinois state legislature — dominated by Democrats — voted to double both personal and corporate income tax rates. Predictably, employers ran, thus shriveling an already inadequate tax base even more, while swelling unemployment benefits and welfare rolls. Death spiral.

Earlier this month, according to Chicago Business, Illinois state Comptroller, Leslie Munger, told Illinois law makers: “…the state increasingly is doing what a cash-strapped family would do: letting the bills pile up. We can’t go bankrupt and we can’t print money,” she declared. “Taxpayers are going to have to pay this bill.”

From nations to states to cities.

America saw several high-profile municipal bankruptcies over the past decade. Stockton, CA, San Bernardino, CA, Detroit, MI, all made headlines for being so poorly managed and debt-laden they needed a judge to dismiss them from financial obligations. Now two more U.S. cities appear locked into one-way tickets to bankruptcy court. Richmond, CA and Scranton, PA.

Citizens and government of Scranton, PA have all but succumb to the truth that bankruptcy is the only thing left to save their city. Richmond, CA has cut jobs, street repairs, closed libraries, is trying everything to save a buck:

” Richmond has cut about 200 jobs — roughly 20 percent of its workforce — since 2008. Its credit rating is at junk status. And in November, voters rejected a tax increase that city leaders had hoped would help close a chronic budget deficit.

“I don’t think there’s any chance we can avoid it,” said former City Councilman Vinay Pimplé, referring to bankruptcy. “

Who runs Richmond? You can probably guess…but by way of confirmation, here are some quotes from former Mayor and current Council member Gayle McLaughlin’s page on the city’s website:

“A Decade of Progress and More to Come”

“Gayle’s focus on environmental justice led the city to move forward as a leader on many environmental initiatives.”

“Thanks to her efforts advancing solar installation, Richmond was noted as leading the Bay Area for solar installed per capita…”

“Richmond also received countless awards for its model green job training program…”

Need to know anything else?

Richmond, Detroit, California, Greece, and others, all represent liberal’s idea of “progress?” Yes, if the progress you’re trying to make is toward Chapter 11 court.